Escape to Earth
by Teefa and Co
Summary: Sequal to Songs of the Future. The Nedians try to reach Earth in hopes of starting a new life. But will an old evil try to stop them? And what happened to the missing Facility ship? COMPLETE
1. Mystery of the Ancient Text

The Mystery of the Ancient Text  
  
"I'm telling you Bowman, there was some other lost society that lived besides the ancient Hoffmaneese," stated Keith Klassner.  
  
Bowman looked shocked at what his friend had just told him. The Ancient Text that Celine, Rena, and Claude had found in Cross Cave was proof that Heraldry had been given to the Hoffmaneese—the ancestors of the sorcerers of Mars Village—by another race that they'd encountered. It was the end to a debate on the origins of Heraldry that had gone on for hundreds of years. That was just one of the many theories that had been presented to the historians.  
  
Keith continued, "It says here that 2,000 years ago, this 'spaceship' crashed on Hoffman isle, and befriended the Hoffmaneese. They used a special spell to aid the natives in understanding their language, but it ended up creating a new language that crossed the two—Ancient Labarre, which in their original language meant alliance. In the millennia that followed, the new race taught the Hoffmaneese Attack and Offensive Heraldry. But then, 1,000 years ago, monsters invaded the island. The Hoffmaneese escaped with the children of this society and one of their adults, while the majority of them sacrificed themselves to buy them time." He gave the book to Bowman, and told him to bring it, and the translation, back to Rena, Claude, and Celine.  
  
* * *  
  
A few days later, Bowman entered the Shingo Forest, where the Nedians had made their makeshift society. It wasn't that fancy—just houses built around trees in several floors—but they'd be leaving soon. Reema had cannibalized her spaceship, as well as what remained of Opera's and Ernest's, and had begun to construct one that would hold all the Nedian race. Once finished, they were all going to leave Expel and head for Earth in order to find a place to live permanently.  
  
"Hey guys," he called, "I'm back from picking up the texts that Kieth was translating. You're all in for a big surprise."  
  
Rena and Claude ran out of their house instantly. Each of the twelve heroes lived in one of seven trees that surrounded a big one in the middle of the forest. The middle tree—which was also the biggest—was where Narl housed, as he was the leader. On the floor level of the seven other trees was a big community center as well as many of the businesses. But at the canopy level of the trees was the heroes' housing. Each of the five couples lived in one (well, Precis's dad lived with her and Ashton, but still), while Bowman and Nineh had another, and Leon and his parents were in the third. All the other trees had several houses on several floors for ordinary civilians.  
  
"What's up?" asked Claude.  
  
"Get everyone out here this minute," exclaimed Bowman, "I have something important to show you all. It's about the Ancient Text."  
  
* * *  
  
It didn't take too long to get all the heroes together. Precis had to be pulled away from one of her machines, but everyone else was willing—especially once they heard what was going on. They met in Narl's office, as Bowman seemed to want to include the mayor in his discovery. Reema also was in attendance—ancient texts dealing with Heraldry was one of her fortes.  
  
"I want you all to look at this," exclaimed Bowman. He passed around the translation that Keith had made—having written out twelve copies while on the boat ride home. Everyone began to read the text. Bowman could tell when they'd finished, as they had a surprised look on their face.  
  
Rena was the first to speak. "This says that the race that brought Heraldry to the Hoffmaneese race was a group of Nedians who were lost in time. They were the crew of the third ship that escaped the doomed research facility. After they left the time warp, they wandered for 3,000 years until they found Expel, and the gravity took their battered ship in."  
  
"This explains a lot," said Leon, "If you look closely, several Expelians seem to have ears like Nedians. Since the document says that the youths who weren't ready to stop their aging left with a veteran of the race and the Hoffmaneese, those people must be their descendants."  
  
"And none of them ever took their life oaths because the man who left was chosen for his ability in battle, not the ability to perform the Heraldic ceremony," exclaimed Claude.  
  
Reema took a look at the original document. Indeed, it was written in the Nedians' original language. The writer seemed to be fearful for the future of his race, so he left in order to help the survivors. Since these children grew up far removed from Nede, they didn't know the principles of their race—being exposed to Hoffmaneese values—and were to be told upon taking their oaths—as was the tradition of Nedians in a foreign society. So he'd written the history of the race as well as their situation down, and had given it to them. But they'd apparently hidden it for some reason or another.  
  
Celine stated, "Why this story seems similar to the teachings of the Heraldic Gods."  
  
Everyone stared at her. Those who were raised on Expel knew that the citizens of Mars followed a religion that had to deal with the very principals of Heraldry, as well as a strange prophecy. But no outsider had ever heard the tales, so they pressed her to explain.  
  
"Long ago," she began, " The Expelians lived with the gods in the heavens. But then, they began to harm the god messengers—the angels—who did the gods' bidding. Thus they were banished and forced to roam the very fabric of time and space, until Tria himself took pity on them and landed them on a remote planet. That was a million years ago. Some time later, a group of angels came down from the heavens. They shared their knowledge with the ancestors of my people out of goodwill. But when the demons attacked, they sent one of their own along with their children and my people's ancestors. Then, they took the demons into the heavens, and destroyed them. The children were made mortals, and told to guard Expel until the time was right. Then, he left them with this holy book, which contained the Expelian and angel history, as well as an ancient prophecy."  
  
"What's the prophecy?" asked the others.  
  
Celine looked around, figuring it would be ok to tell just a few people. "It has been kept secret by my people for a thousand years. But I think it has already—at least most of the way—come to pass."  
  
- - - -  
  
So what is this prophecy? And what exactly does—or did—it mean? Well, I'll tell you all next time. Did any of you notice how some of the Expelians had pointed ears? If it was only the base sprites, I wouldn't have noticed. But Mayor Regis had them too, and he didn't have a base sprite. And if you ever see the Bowman Alone ending, Keith says there was an ancient race that wrote it, and Bowman asks if it was the Nedians. Then, Keith says yes. You could take it as if Expel was once part of the Nedian Empire, but I like this theory. Besides, I don't think Expel would be that primitive if they were that old. 


	2. The Prophecy

The Prophecy  
  
"The prophecy states," said Celine, "That long ago, the gods and angels sealed away the Ten Flesh-Eating Demons. But the seal wasn't permanent, and one day they would rise again. They would attack Expel first as a warm up, and then continue on to kill the angels and gods in revenge."  
  
Rena asked, "Could that be in reference to the Ten Wise Men?"  
  
Celine shook her head. "If it was written by Nedians, I think that's a safe bet. Well the prophecy also speaks of how the demons will be defeated."  
  
Everyone leaned closer as Celine continued her story. "In the days before and during the demons' attack, two heroes will come forward. First will be an angel child, who will be found in a forest and raised by Expelians. Next will be a curious youth who will be wearing alien clothing and carrying a Sword of Light."  
  
"The Hero of Light!" yelled Rena. She had been raised hearing that story, and could tell when it was The Hero that someone was referring to—even if not in the same exact context. But how had she gotten into her beloved legend? Who else would be 'found in a forest and raised by Expelians'.  
  
"Must be, although I wonder how the people of Arlia knew that part of our legend," said Celine, "Anyway, the two will go off together, bringing in new friends to aid them in their quest. Finally, they will confront the demons, and in a blinding flash of light, vanquish them. Suddenly, the heavens will rock, and the angels will return to Expel. But they will not stay forever. After they fulfil their purpose, they will leave again in a shower of light."  
  
"Mom, can I look at the original copy?" asked Rena. Although she'd been raised on Expel, she knew the Nedian language deep in her heart. Probably if she'd looked at the text before they'd dropped it off with Kieth, she'd have been able to translate it herself.  
  
Reema replied, "Sure Rena." Then she handed her daughter the Ancient Text.  
  
"I'll be right back," called Rena, "I just want to figure something out." Then, she left the room, and ran strait away into town.  
  
* * *  
  
Once in Arlia, Rena went strait to the pastor of the church. When she mentioned the legend of Mars, he replied, "Of course that's where our Hero of Light comes from. You see, the mortal children of the angels founded our town. In fact, it was your ancestor—Selntro Lanford, son of Alexander Lanford, the angel who led them all to safety—who was their leader. Over time, many of them moved out and the Expelian natives moved in. So only some of us still have the pointed ears. Regis's family was all purebloods until your father—his son—met your mother. You were lucky to be born with the pointed ears at the normal size, half-breeds always see a reduction in the length."  
  
Rena then inquired, "Did you ever hear of the 'Minsconta', the holy book given by Alexander Lanford to the Hoffmaneese and mortal angels? Or of the prophecy?"  
  
"Yes," he stated, "I never told you this Rena—because Westa would have my hide if I did—but you are adopted. When she showed you to me, I knew that you must be the angel child in the prophecy. So did the other villagers. I mean, you looked just like our distant ancestors are supposed to. And then there was the Sorcery Globe incident, and the lights. Not to mention the young man who you met in the forest. So it's safe to say that I was right and the prophecy has come too past. Why do you ask about the book though? Is it your memory as an angel coming back?"  
  
Rena picked up the Ancient Text that she carried. "We found this in a cave. I want to know if this is indeed the original 'Minsconta'."  
  
The priest's shocked expression was all she needed to know. So Rena politely bade him goodbye. Then, her questions answered, she returned to the forest. Before going to see her friends though, she read the book from start to finish. Once done, she returned to the office.  
  
"Where were you?" asked Claude.  
  
Rena smiled. "I've just found out that Arlia was founded by the children of the Nedians who crashed here. It turns out that the villagers all thought I was the prophecy child. And they have good reason to, after hearing the whole legend. But the true story was diluted since the book was written in a language only related to their natural tongue."  
  
"What is the true story?" asked Precis, "I can't read in Nedian, so I can't figure it out for myself. Even Kieth could only get the gist of the tale."  
  
Rena picked up the book. "I'll tell you only the important parts. The whole thing is just to long for us all to sit here listening. I'll also draft a true translation of the story for you all to read."  
  
Everyone edged in closer. All except Reema and Narl—who'd already read the story. Rena began, "The Ten Flesh-Eating Demons is indeed referring to the Ten Wise Men. Apparently the Nedian adult who survived had a mission to complete. He was to make sure that I reached Expel, since he knew I would be safe here. So he asked the others to find a spot for a village that would be nearby a forest. Then, he planned to place a transponder in the forest, so the pod could home in on it. But it would also attract the Ten Wise Men's prison to the planet, albeit they wouldn't be able to land anywhere near it. Since Expel is so close to Nede, he knew what they'd do in order to return home."  
  
"But where does the Hero of Light come in here?" asked Claude.  
  
"I was just getting to that," continued Rena, "He was also going to head for a deserted planet by making a small device with what remained of their old ship. Then, he'd place another transponder that would hook up to the one on Expel. That would be used as a teleporter. It would react to the energy admitted by the Ten Wise Men's landing on Expel, and the man would come to the planet right away using the link. But he also figured that some explorers would pick up the signal, and someone else would end up here as well. The finding of friends is a given, many people react to enemies trying to destroy their world by fighting back, and the lights refer to the death and rebirth of the planet. He also figured that Nede would be forced to be used as a sacrifice, and foresaw our emotions causing a Quadratic Reaction to save the citizens."  
  
Reema spoke up, "The man who wrote this book is in fact a good friend of mine. In fact, I charged Alexander with finding the pod, should I not survive. I'm happy to know he did his job well."  
  
"The prophecy could work in our favor," stated Narl, "Since all the rest of it has come true in the fight with the Ten Wise Men, we can use the 'shower of light' in order to make our escape from this planet without alerting anyone to advanced technology."  
  
- - - -  
  
This was for those of you who wondered how no one seemed to notice that Westa just suddenly has a daughter that is about two years old. They were keeping the prophecy a secret in fear that it would cause Rena not to fulfil her destiny. Also, was I the only one who wondered how Regis convinced Westa to let Rena go? That's why I made him her father-in-law, your relatives are the best people to convince you to do these things. 


	3. Spaceships and Weddings

Spaceships and Weddings  
  
Shortly after the discussion about the Minsconta—which, it turned out, meant history in the Nedian language—Reema began creating a new device for the ship. With it, the ship would edmit rays of light upon takeoff. The rays would come from concentrated Heraldic spells—cast by several Nedian mages—which would turn into pure light in the device. Their ship, The Nedia, would be cloaked in the light, appearing to be returning to the heavens in a shower of light—just as the prophecy stated. If anyone who didn't know the story questioned about it, they'd probably get either an 'I don't know' or the prophecy thrown at them, depending on whom they asked.  
  
But the building of the device and ship was slightly behind schedule. That was because the five couples were preparing for their weddings. It had been jointly decided that they'd all have them on the same day, one right after another. Claude was reminded of an old project he did in school where he had to pretend to be married to a girl for a whole marking period, and raise an egg as a baby. Each of his classmates had been married one after another by their principal.  
  
And so it came to pass that one-month after the discussion, the weddings were to be held. Everyone was dressed in traditional Nedian wedding robes. The warriors' Expelian families also came—luckily for them, the only ones besides Leon and Precis with relatives were Rena and Celine, whose families believed in the prophecy—albeit they didn't know what the garments meant symbolically. The women wore simple white robes with silver borders, while the men wore simple black robes with gold borders. Narl—acting as the preacher—had on the same robe as the men, but he was also wearing a golden pendant. Reema—who was the second preacher—had on the same robe as the women along with a silver pendant. Most Nedian weddings had a male and female Heraldic Mage to lead them, especially group ones like this.  
  
"In the name of the great Tria, creator of the universe, we are gathered here to watch these ten young individuals each take the journey into the rest of their lives," stated Narl, "By the end of the day, each of them will be wedded to another—man and woman, husband and wife, comrades in battle and mates in love for all eternity."  
  
Reema continued, "This sacred blessing is the gift that unites two hearts forever. Once married, they will never have to suffer the anguish of being alone again. And if one of them dies, no matter what happens, his or her presence will always be with the other for the rest of that person's life. Love prevailing over hate, light over darkness."  
  
In turn, everyone came up to the altar. First came Precis and Ashton. Then, Opera and Ernest. Next, Celine and Noel. After that, Chisato and Dias. And finally came Rena and Claude. When they stepped up to the altar, they joined hands with Narl and Reema, and the two Nedian Mages transferred some of their magic throughout the circle. As mages themselves, Celine, Noel, and Rena were able to feel the waves flowing through them. And when it was all over, they stood back in the line.  
  
"You are all now declared husbands and wives," stated Narl.  
  
"You may all now kiss the brides," chimed in Reema. At once, the five men took their new brides into their arms. Then, they all shared a passionate kiss.  
  
* * *  
  
The night after the weddings found the five couples all sitting on the Synard—also brought to Expel by Quadratic Reaction. They were all going to take a break at a little beach resort near the town of Sazira on El—recently rebuilt. Once there, they would all spend a week of fun in the sun for their honeymoons. Then, they were going to return to help with the Nedia's construction.  
  
"Ok Synard," commanded Rena, "Let's fly." At once, the beast took off. Precis began to giggle, as she always did while riding it. Gyoro and Ururun traded mental sighs because Ashton had begun to scream for it to slow down.  
  
Finally they came to the beach. Rena dismounted with a flip, and landed in Claude's arms. In an effort to copy the technique, klutzy Chisato managed to land on top of Dias, knocking him right into Ashton. Then, a domino affect occurred, until all ten of them were on the ground laughing their heads off.  
  
Rena stated, "Well, the hotel isn't that far off. Why don't we all check in so we can get some shuteye? Don't want to be to tired to have fun, eh?  
  
"Yes," chorused the others.  
  
* * *  
  
The week at the beach was the best any of them had ever had. But they couldn't persuade Chisato to take a break. She spent most of it interviewing the citizens of El on what they thought of the Sorcery Globe, and about the rebuilding of the kingdom. "I'll win an award for my series 'The Ten Wise Men Invasion: Seen Through the Eyes of Two Races'," she exclaimed.  
  
Finally, the week was over and they prepared to go home. This time, Ashton had brought a barf bag along—although he'd never gotten airsick before. At this, Gyoro and Ururun traded mental sighs again. Rena was, as usual, captain of the Synard with Claude as her first mate. In no time, they had returned to the Shingo Forest.  
  
When they arrived, they saw Narl. "I need a favor," he said, "We need more supplies for the body of the ship, and some Quadratic Stone in order to make a few components. Leon said there was plenty of it at the Hoffman Ruins, probably left by Alexander when he fled with the children and Hoffmaneese. Could all of you be willing to head there in order to get the supplies necessary?"  
  
"Sure, we'd love to," replied Claude. Although he never told his friends these peaceful days were pretty boring. But when they all agreed he figured that they all were thinking along the same lines. Heck, they were all so used to constantly fighting monsters.  
  
Rena then proclaimed, "We should get Leon and Bowman first. I'm sure they'd all love to come along with us." She then ran off to find their friends so they could start their new mission.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well I just winged it with the weddings. That is supposed to be a traditional Nedian wedding. Well, I'm going to have some fighting next chapter (cringes at the thought of how bad her battle scenes usually come out). 


	4. Enemy At Hoffman

Enemy At Hoffman  
  
"Are we there yet?" whined Ashton. He hadn't liked the idea of going back on the Synard so soon after they'd gotten off it. And Precis wasn't helping much with her giggling.  
  
"Soon," replied Claude, "Really, complaining isn't going to get us there any faster."  
  
So Ashton shut up for the rest of the trip. When they landed, the warriors went right into the ruins. Leon, still shaken from their last visit, held closely onto Claude's left hand and Rena's right—walking in between the two. Opera had her Kaleidoscope locked and loaded, eagerly awaiting the first monster that come into her sights.  
  
"Opera darling, why don't you relax a bit. The monsters aren't coming any faster just because you've got your gun out. I'd say they'll try to avoid us as much as possible," commented Celine.  
  
As if on cue, a pair of Hoffmanixes came into the room. Opera shot both of them, and then yelled, "Hey guys, nows your chance to get in close."  
  
All the fighters began running at the enemy. Claude, Dias, and Chisato ran at one, while Ashton, Ernest, and Bowman hit the other. Opera and Precis began using their weapons and skills at a distance. While this was going on, the magicians were all pelting the enemy with their best spells. Soon, the monsters were down, and our heroes began to move on.  
  
"Too easy," stated Chisato.  
  
Dias replied, "Almost so. How good are we now that we've defeated the most evil force in the entire universe?"  
  
"Let's not complain," chided Precis, "After all, easier is always better."  
  
Claude wanted to say something, but he let the remark slide. Precis was always thinking on the bright side of things. Besides, he had more pressing concerns. While looking over his shoulder, Claude had seen Ashton lugging… a barrel. "Ashton, what was the point of bringing that along with you on this excursion?" he inquired.  
  
Ashton answered, "It's my lucky barrel." At that comment, everyone in the room—even Gyoro and Ururun—sweatdropped. "What's wrong?" he asked. Then, the others facefaulted.  
  
* * *  
  
Finally, they'd all arrived at the inner sanctum. But then they realized they had nothing to carry the stone in except a few small stacks. It wasn't soon before Precis got an idea. "Hey Ashy, why don't we carry this in your barrel?" she asked.  
  
"Not my lucky barrel," complained Ashton, "It has sentimental value." But before he could say another word, Rena had filled the barrel to the top with Quadratic Stone.  
  
"So there was a good reason for him to bring it," pondered Claude. Ashton just sat off in the corner, grumbling.  
  
Suddenly, a strange man appeared. He had short jet-black hair, and red eyes. His shirt and pants were also black, and there was a skull and cross-bones symbol on the shirt. At his wrists and ankles were gray shackles with the chains removed. Mysteriously, black wings were growing out of his back—as if he was possessed by some sort of demon bird. But what really got the twelve warriors worked up was that his ears looked just like that of a Nedian, with a gold hoop earring in the right one. An evil smile spread across his face.  
  
"So, we meet at last, destroyers of the Ten Wise Men," he announced.  
  
Claude pulled out Eternal Sphere. "Who are you, and what do you want with my friends and I? Come to think of it, how do you know about us anyway?"  
  
"I've heard my share of rumors Earthling," stated the man, "My spy network is the most advanced in the entire universe. But it wouldn't be fair to destroy you without telling my name. I am Resto Sinvecta. Long ago, I was a partisan to the Ten Wise Men. But I was never caught after the war." He then began to charge up a Heraldic spell.  
  
Rena noticed the look in his eyes. 'Why does that seem familiar?' she thought. But then she noticed the spell he was casting. So she began to cast as well.  
  
"Shadow Flare," yelled Resto, just as Rena called out, "Star Flare." The two spells hit one another, and instantly cancelled each other out.  
  
"You're quite good for a mere child," stated Resto, "But no matter, I will finish you off and get revenge for my masters' deaths." He then grabbed a silver rapier, and began to rush towards them with incredible speed.  
  
"Mirror Slice," screamed Claude. Before Resto could reach the group, he found himself sprawled out on the floor, courtesy of Claude's secret move. He suddenly noticed that his hands were covered in his own blood.  
  
Resto vowed, "You may have won today warriors, but I'll be back." Then, just as mysteriously as he had come, the villain left.  
  
* * *  
  
They made it back to the colony without any further incidents. But the face of the evil man was in their minds and it troubled them. So after delivering the materials to Reema, they went to Narl's office to tell him what had happened.  
  
"I don't know what to say," stated Narl, "We all thought all of the people who were truly in favor of the Ten Wise Men were locked up forever. Noel, who was that anyway?"  
  
Noel exclaimed, "That man was the one Narl. You remember, he burned your house down and killed your parents. And he did the same thing to Reema too."  
  
Everyone looked shocked. Noel was usually secretive about his past. He truly regretted originally cashing it in with the Wise Men, and didn't like talking about the things they had done—especially involving him. So they all asked Noel what exactly happened.  
  
"It's a long story. But I'm sure you all would like to hear it. It takes place long ago, before I knew what horrors my masters really were up to," stated Noel.  
  
- - - -  
  
What is going on with Noel anyway? Well, coming up next is my theory on how he joined and left the Ten Wise Men. The game just touches on the fact that he was one of them, but never really goes into it. So I've come up with my own theory. 


	5. Painful Thoughts

Painful Thoughts  
  
"Long ago," began Noel, "I was just a young man who recently had taken his life oath. But there was nothing much for me out there, since I was often anti-governmental because of how the animals of Nede were treated. But one day, I was given an offer that changed my life forever…"  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
A knock came to the door of Noel's cabin in the forest. When he went to answer it, there stood a man with black hair and red eyes, wearing black robes. He said, "Good day, my name is Resto Sinvecta. I've heard you don't like the current system of government. How would you like to change it? All the animals of Nede will be safe under the new regime we're planning."  
  
Noel thought for a moment. He had shared a special bond with the animals of Nede since he was a child, and would do anything for them. So he replied, "Ok." Then, he locked up his cabin, and went with Resto to Dr. Lantis's laboratory.  
  
When they arrived, Noel met each of the nine current Wise Men, as well as their leader Dr. Lantis. He also met Lantis's young daughter Filia, who was always full of energy. Noel took up the position of healer for one of their battle groups, as they wouldn't always be able to contact one of their leaders for help. The group he was placed in included himself and Resto, and reported directly to the most powerful Wise Man, Cyril.  
  
One day, a group of people opposed to the plan set fire to Lantis's house, and Filia was badly hurt. Although she survived, the men were all angered over it. So they decided to strike a blow against their enemies…by arranging to murder a few politicians.  
  
Noel and Resto went with their group to the house of Senator Tan, who was highly respected and highly opposed to the Ten Wise Men project. "Now Noel," stated Resto, "All you've got to do is bring down anybody I tell you to, and heal me if I get hurt. I know how much you dislike killing people, so I'll do all of that for you." Then, they entered the house.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Tan were sitting at the table eating breakfast when the two came in. At once, Resto lashed out with his silver rapier, cutting them both down. "Go find anybody else in the house that you can, and bring them to me. No one is to leave here alive," ordered Resto.  
  
Noel felt a bit queasy as he searched the upstairs. Even though he wasn't directly taking the lives of these people, he might as well be. He was debating on what to do, when something dove at him, and pummeled him to the ground.  
  
"Get out, get out, get out! I know you're doing something bad, why else would you be up here?" cried a little girl. She had short blue hair and eyes, and an angry look on her face. But when Noel looked closely, he could see she was crying.  
  
'I can't send a kid to death,' thought Noel, 'She's just an innocent victim. So he dragged her into a room before they were spotted.  
  
The girl asked, "What are you going to do with me?"  
  
"Save you," answered Noel. He climbed out the window, and began running to the forest behind the house. "Now, what's your name? Do you know where I can hide you until it's over?"  
  
"My name is Reema Tan," replied the girl, "You can take me to my friend Narl Varona's house. It's right next door to mine."  
  
So Noel took the little girl with him next door. But when he got there, a servant came outside frightened. "Oh Miss Reema, good to know you're safe. My master went to check on your parents but hasn't come back yet," she cried.  
  
Noel left Reema with the servant, ran back to the Tan household, and snuck back in the window. When he returned to the living room, he saw not only a ton of servants dead, but Mr. and Mrs. Varona as well. In front of them stood Resto, their blood on his clothes and sword. "When these two don't return home, it'll be suspicious," stated Resto, "So we're going over there as soon as we finish here. Noel, I want you to secure the house for me."  
  
Noel ran over there instantly. He immediately warned the servants what was happening, and told them to flee. But one of them said, "If they find an empty house, they'll get suspicious. I want you to hide the children in the woods, and we'll all stay to die. If it's any consolation, I would consider it an honor to give up my life for the young master." Everyone else seemed to agree with him on this one.  
  
Noel ran outside with Reema and her friend Narl—a young boy with brown hair and green eyes. Then, they saw the Tan household burst into flames. Reema shed a few tears, but knew deep down that she'd have to be strong about it.  
  
Once they were safely in the forest, Noel returned to the house. There, he waited for Resto to arrive. The servants all came into the parlor, as if Noel had gathered them up. When Resto arrived, the bloodbath began.  
  
"I'm feeling kind of sick, can I go outside?" asked Noel.  
  
Resto—still enjoying his killing spree—said, "Sure Noel. Just meet back at base in an hour."  
  
But Noel never returned to base. He ran off to an animal preserve with the two children. There, he built a new cabin for the three of them to live in. It ended up lasting them for many years, until the Nedians relocated to Energy Nede.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"So, the one you told us about has returned," stated Narl.  
  
Rena then exclaimed, "Well I don't care who he is. He won't be able to destroy this colony, not while any of us still draw breath."  
  
- - - -  
  
Here's my little take on Noel's past. The game didn't really develop that plot the way it should have in my opinion. 


	6. Ready For Launch

Ready For Launch  
  
It's been over two years since the final battle. Finally, the Nedia is ready to take off and bring the Nedians to outer space. Everyone in the colony is excited, but most of all Rena and Claude. For although the forests of Expel are nice, they haven't been able to keep it quiet as well…  
  
"Claude, what is wrong with her? I don't have experience in these matters," yelled Rena over the cries of their infant daughter Estrella. The small blue-haired, blue eyed baby had been fussy ever since she was born on March 10th (Earth standard).  
  
Claude entered the sleeping quarters. "I don't know, I've never taken care of a baby before. My youngest sister was born ten years after me, and that was eleven years ago."  
  
Chisato entered the room. "If this is what having a baby is like," she muttered. Her baby was due in early July, and that was only about a week or two away.  
  
"Not always," replied Claude, "None of my siblings were like that. We're thinking that Estrella has some sort of condition."  
  
Chisato covered her ears. "Then go ask Bowman about the whole thing. He's the pharmacist, maybe he'll have something."  
  
So the two took their daughter to visit Bowman's house. Their pharmacist friend was sitting there with some Artemis Leaves and Lavender—trying to make Resurrection Mists no doubt. Suddenly, the two components vanished. An array of curses left his mouth.  
  
"Not in front of the baby," chided Rena. She took the two components, and made a Resurrection Mist in one try. Bowman got a shocked look on his face.  
  
Claude then asked, "Hey Bowman, why do you think Estrella keeps wailing all the time?"  
  
"Colic maybe," whined Bowman, still upset about the Mists, "Give her some Spring Water, and she'll calm down right away."  
  
"Ummm….ok," said Claude. He and Rena took some Spring Water, and left the shop.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day was launching day for the Nedia. Everyone in the colony began to pack up their belongings, and then proceeded to load them into their quarters on the ship. Reema packed plenty of Quadratic Stone into the generators of her Heraldic device—ready for their light show. 'Now no one will believe this is a sign of advanced technology,' she thought.  
  
But just before launching, Chisato went into labor. Dias rushed to her side, and yelled, "Bowman, Noel, get your behinds in here and deliver this baby."  
  
They loaded her into her quarters on the ship, and Rena continued to bring their supplies onto the ship for them. Narl pushed the launch back until the labor was over. "She wasn't due until early July," he mumbled, "So why must it come June 24?"  
  
Luckily, her labor didn't last long. After only about an hour of waiting, Chisato gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She and Dias named the baby Lucrecia. The child had her father's light blue hair, and her mother's light blue eyes.  
  
"Now can we go?" asked an impatient Narl. No other objections were had, and they started up the engines. The Nedia was on its way.  
  
"Activating light show," stated Reema. The ship was suddenly surrounded with an eerie green light. It could be seen from miles away in every direction.  
  
In Arlia, the priest stood with Regis in front of the church. "This is it," sighed the mayor, "The prophecy is finally fulfilled."  
  
The priest replied, "Yeah…hey, have you seen Westa anywhere? She should be seeing this spectacular show."  
  
Unbeknownst to them, Westa had seen a stranger milling about the town. He wasn't one of the villagers, nor one of the angels from the Shingo Forest. So she'd tailed him to the forest, where she saw him get on the Nedia. Curious to his motives—as well as what the ship was for—she'd gotten on it as well. But Westa hadn't foreseen the ship leaving the ground—let alone the planet—and was frightened. The woman nearly had a heart attack as the first jolts of take-off occurred.  
  
Soon she ran into the stranger. He looked surprised, and inquired, "What are you doing aboard this cruiser? It is not going to be returning you home again."  
  
"Who are you, and what do you know about this 'cruiser'?" she asked back.  
  
The man cleared his throat. "I am Alexander Lanford. This cruiser is taking my people to a new home, far away. You are a mere Expellian—albeit you married my descendant. So why did you come along in the first place."  
  
"I wanted to know what it was," explained Westa.  
  
Alexander replied, "Well you're in for the long haul now. No turning back. I guess one more passenger won't be any problem. Now I must find my leaders."  
  
* * *  
  
Alexander's appearing on the bridge was quite a shock for Narl. He couldn't believe that the man was still alive, although his letter said he would most likely be. But when he saw Westa, his face drained of color. Narl whispered to Reema, "Tell Rena to duck and cover, you know how Westa gets around her."  
  
But there was no need for them to worry. Westa had been briefed on the truth of the matter on the way to the bridge. Although she had once believed her daughter should be sheltered—in order to have her die while fulfilling the prophecy—she accepted Rena's role as a member of the Nedian hierarchy with no problems. The former housewife even agreed to support the crew as they searched for Earth, and a new place to live.  
  
- - - -  
  
Well they're finally on their way. We'll get to Earth in the next chapter, and see what Claude's mom has to say about his new wife and child. 


	7. Homecoming

Homecoming  
  
After a month of travel, the Nedia was finally ready to dock on Earth. Reema made a call to the control tower, telling who she was and that she was carrying a load of refugees from her home planet, which was in the area of space she was investigating. Control allowed the landing, and directed the ship down to the landing platform.  
  
'Please let Reema have found something of Calnus,' silently pleaded Iria Kenni. She was hoping that her missing son and husband were still alive, and would come home. So when she heard that her close friend was coming back after a two year investigation, Iria ran from her post at the research facility, to the spaceport.  
  
When she got there, Iria saw Narl talking to Reema about the situation. Although it wasn't polite to interrupt, she said, "Excuse me sir, my name is Iria Kenni. I'm a friend of Dr. Lani's. Could you please tell me if you know anything about my husband Ronixis and oldest son Claude who were on the starship Calnus when it disappeared in your region of space?"  
  
Narl looked down at the ground. He hated breaking such news to people. "I've got good news and bad news," he stated, "Your husband died when Calnus was shot down by my enemies. But your son is alive and well, living among my people for two years."  
  
Iria began to cry. Reema handed her friend her handkerchief, and she blew her nose. Then, at that moment, Claude came up to his mother with Rena—who was carrying Estrella in her baby carrier. "Mom…It's me, Claude," he got out.  
  
Iria ran forward and gave her son a big hug. "My baby…it is you. You're home, and you're never going anywhere ever again." Rena, Reema, and Narl sweatdropped.  
  
"I'm her mom," he said, "And I'd like you to meet someone. This here is Rena—my wife—and our infant daughter Estrella. I also would like for you to meet all of the other friends I met while on Expel and Nede." Claude beamed at his family.  
  
Iria took one look at Rena and smiled. "Thank you for taking care of my son. I was so worried that he wouldn't be able to survive if the ship was blown up and everyone was separated from each other," she confessed.  
  
"You can always rely on Rena," exclaimed Narl, "She isn't Dr. Lani's daughter for nothing."  
  
Iria asked Reema, "Is this girl really your child?"  
  
"Yes, my one and only," answered Reema.  
  
Iria replied, "Well, this is not the best place for us to talk. Why don't you come back to the house with all of your friends? Then they can all meet your brother and sisters as well."  
  
* * *  
  
Later that evening the twelve heroes—along with Reema, Narl, Mirage, Marianna, Nineh, Graft, and the Geestes—were sitting in the Kenni family living room. Iria was getting some snacks for the group to nosh on. As they all waited and talked, a sixteen-year-old girl with a long blue ponytail and blue eyes entered the room.  
  
"Claude, where were you anyway? You don't know how worried that mom was about you? And where is father? I swear, you're so irresponsible," she chided.  
  
"Claire," whined Claude, "Please don't bother me in front of my friends. Maybe mom has the right to scold me, but you do not."  
  
Claire yelled, "Fine, be that way. See if I ever do anything nice for you again."  
  
Then, another girl entered. This one had extremely long hair the color of Claude's as well as blue eyes. She was about eleven, and was holding her stuffed bunny. The girl ran to Claude in tears, and gave him a big hug.  
  
"Clara, please…you're suffocating me," begged Claude.  
  
"Sorry," said a blushing Clara. She let her big brother go, and sat on the couch.  
  
Claire then demanded, "Who are all these people anyway? I didn't know you were into those weird cults Claude."  
  
Claude sighed at his sister's comment. Then he told the whole story of his adventure—which had already been told to Iria on the way over there. When it was over, Clara began to sniffle. "I can't believe that daddy is dead. I always thought that strong people never die until they're about a hundred years old, and in a nursery home." She hugged her stuffed bunny closer to her body.  
  
"Are you still carrying around that dumb rabbit?" inquired Claire, "That is so two year old. You're too old for that stuff. And it's nursing home, not nursery home."  
  
Clara began to cry, and Claude gave her a hug. Claire humphed, and left the room. Rena asked, "What is with your sister anyway?"  
  
"Claire thinks she's so cool. Just because all the guys in her school think she's the greatest thing since sliced bread," he replied. When everyone but Reema and Clara gave him the look, he stated, "It's an Earth expression."  
  
"She's in big trouble," exclaimed Clara, "Her boyfriend got her pregnant, and she had a baby boy this January. His name is Ratix, after mom and dad's old friend. Claire never lets me hold the baby, she says I'll just scare him."  
  
Rena said, "You can hold Estrella if you like. Just be careful."  
  
Clara took the baby from Rena, and held her just right. "Cousin Jeffery and his wife had a new baby too, and they showed me how," she said in a very matter-of-fact way.  
  
At that moment, Iria re-entered. She looked at the scene before her, and beamed. "Well, I've got some snacks for you to eat. We'll have a nice reunion." Then the food was put on the coffee table where everyone could help themselves to it.  
  
Just then, the door opened and a young man of about twenty entered the room. He looked just like Claude, only he wore his hair in a mushroom cut. The youth looked around the room, and inquired, "Mom, who are all these people in our living room?"  
  
- - - -  
  
Well, the manual did say that Claude was Ronixis's oldest son. So I added his younger brother—as well as a pair of sisters. We'll get to find out more about the brother next time. 


	8. Xenophobia

Xenophobia  
  
"Claus, you're brother has come home," scolded Iria, "Why don't you welcome him before you complain about his friends."  
  
"Ok mom. Welcome home Claude," Clause got out. He looked away from the group. "Where in space do all these people come from? And why are they here?"  
  
"Nede, Expel, Roak, and Tetragene," chorused the whole gang. Then, one by one, they began to introduce themselves—well, Rena and Chisato introduced their children. After they finished, Claude told the story of their adventures.  
  
Clause gave them a sour look. "You know that any refugees have to talk to the council before being granted asylum, so don't get to comfy about them being here. And I don't think Dr. Heinrich will let the council give it to them so easily."  
  
"Whose this Heinrich?" asked Rena.  
  
"He's a Heraldic doctor that Claus studies under," answered Clara, "He's pretty mean, and doesn't like aliens. After Calnus left, he joined the Federation in order to replace the men on that mission. When that expedition didn't return and Dr. Lani went looking for any survivors, Heinrich gained power in the administrative department of the Federation. Now the council eats out of his hands."  
  
Iria responded with, "Don't worry, since you lost your home planet, I'm sure the council will at least send a mission to help you find a new home. Now it's getting late, so you should all get back to the Nedia for the night. The hearing will be tomorrow at 1500 hours."  
  
Precis whined, "But there's only twenty four hours in a day on Earth, just like on Expel and Nede, not 1500."  
  
Claude sighed. "It's military time. 1500 means 3:00 PM. Don't worry, I can tell military time, so I'll know when we should leave for the hearing."  
  
"Let's go then," said Narl.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day they woke up feeling anxious. All twelve of the warriors were going to the hearing along with Narl, Marianna, Mirage, and Reema. Estrella and Lucrecia were going to stay in the care of the Geestes, since no one wanted the babies to get restless in the meeting.  
  
All to soon 3:00 came, and the meeting began. The warriors were all sitting down patiently as the council leader called the meeting to order. Then, it was time to tell the story.  
  
"Two years ago," began Claude, "The starship Calnus landed on Milcondia, searching for the source of the strange emanations there. I was examining a device I found, and suddenly the world went white. When I woke up, I was in a forest on a planet I'd never seen or heard of called Expel…"  
  
Claude told the whole story of his adventures to save the universe from the Ten Wise Men. The council felt the fear as the demons destroyed the Lacour attack force. They cried with the Expellians, Rena, and Leon when Narl revealed the planet had been blown up when it collided with the barrier. And they began to cheer when the Nedians were found alive and well after their own planet had died.  
  
"Absurd! These people are making up stories in order to get through our defenses. Then they'll take over the whole planet," yelled Heinrich.  
  
A young woman on the council exclaimed, "Mr. Heinrich, you're the absurd one. Why would a race go to such extremes in order to do that? Besides, they took in Claude, and Dr. Lani is one of them. I vote to give them a chance."  
  
"We'll vote on the matter," stated the council spokeswoman, "Until then…meeting adjourned."  
  
* * *  
  
The council was away for a whole hour. In that time Heinrich began to argue with Reema over the true purpose of Heraldry. He said that it was only for destruction and devastation, and should be researched for the purpose of combating it. She said that it was for helping others, and defending the innocent. Iria, who had come separately from the group from Nede, told the others, "They did this a lot before Reema went into space to find Calnus."  
  
Claude looked at Rena. He could see the worry in his wife's eyes, and knew she feared that he would be forced to leave her if the Nedians couldn't stay. "Don't sweat it," he reassured her, "If you are all forced to leave, one of two things will happen. One, you will be allowed to stay since marrying a denizen of Earth automatically gets you a green card. Two, I will get my mom to allow me to come along with you to your new home."  
  
At once, the council reentered the hearing chamber. Tension filled the room as they re-took their seats. Heinrich even stopped fighting with Reema, which the scientist greatly appreciated. Unlike her counterpart, Reema disliked arguing about her beliefs, and only did it because the aging scientist never let her be until he got his way.  
  
The council leader got up out of her seat. "We went over every detail of the story told by Ensign Kenni. It appears to be accurate, especially the time we lost communication with Calnus to when he says it was destroyed. And since he wasn't briefed by either Drs. Lani or Kenni on the matter, he couldn't have known that detail. So in a unanimous vote, we the Earth Federation Council of Politics decided to give the Nedians a place to stay on Earth as long as they want."  
  
When the last words had left her mouth, the council left the room again. Narl gave Reema a big hug and a kiss. Rena—who was embracing Claude thought, 'Maybe I'll be getting a new father sometime soon.' Everyone else began to shed tears of relief.  
  
The only person not happy was Dr. Heinrich. He went up to Reema, and said, "You haven't seen the last of me. I'll find a way to get rid of not only these filthy intruders, but you and the Kenni's as well." Then he marched out of the room.  
  
"Let him blow off some steam. He's unused to not getting his way, and doesn't know quite how to take it," whispered Iria to her son.  
  
Claude watched Heinrich leave the room. "I hope you're right mother, I hope you're right."  
  
- - - -  
  
Ok, vocab review here. Xenophobia means the hatred of foreigners. Denizen—one of my vocabulary words this year—is basically a citizen. The whole situation is based on the book series "The Sentinels" which is part of the Robotech book series (it tells what happened with a mission that is talked about in the old anime), where a xenophobic general takes over the council after the destruction of a ship that was going to free planets from an alien tyrant, and had his enemies on board. I based Heinrich on the general, Calnus as the ship that went down, Iria and Reema on the group of people still loyal to that group, and the Nedians as the group. Ok, I've ranted enough now. 


	9. True Face of Evil

True Face of Evil  
  
The next week was uneventful to the Nedians. They worked long and hard and began to build their colony. With their advanced technology, many houses were done in a day. The size of these houses was much bigger than their Expellian counterparts. They were also all on ground level and had several stories.  
  
But one day, a fire broke out at a warehouse. Rena and Claude went to investigate, and saw Resto standing there laughing like a maniac. "I knew I'd lure you out," he said.  
  
"Resto," exclaimed Rena, "Your days of terror are numbered. We won't let you continue to harm the innocents of our society."  
  
Resto gave her a look. "You look so like your mother. And you have her determination. But I also see the angry eye of your accursed father." He then drew his weapon and began to charge. Rena and Claude jumped out of the way and avoided the attack. Resto began to grumble about how no one ever dodges him.  
  
"Star Flare," screamed Rena.  
  
"Mirror Slice," yelled Claude. The two attacks struck Resto dead center wounding him in the chest. But he was still not dead.  
  
"Impressive," he whispered, "You two are the first to survive my attack. But mark my word, I'll get you in the end." Then, he vanished.  
  
Rena and Claude stood there in awe. At that moment the fire engines came up to the building. After explaining what happened, the two of them ran home to report the incident to Narl. He was the only person who would know what to do.  
  
* * *  
  
When they returned, they told Narl what had happened. Reema looked at them, and sighed. "He would follow me to the ends of the universe. But what he doesn't know is that I'm not afraid of him. I will fight as long as it takes to get him to leave us alone."  
  
Rena looked at her mom. She knew Resto was the man who killed her father all those years ago, and separated her from her mother. But she couldn't help but worry about how he had managed to infiltrate the security on Earth. It was so high tech that any ship within five hundred light years would be detected and challenged.  
  
When she questioned her mother about it, Reema replied, "He has the ability to teleport. But it is much more powerful than the ones used by normal people. The Ten Wise Men gave him that ability when he joined them. That's how he was able to get to Expel and just suddenly vanish off the map after attacking you in the Hoffman ruins.  
  
At that moment Heinrich entered. No one paid him any attention until he screamed, "Dr. Lani, I challenge you to a battle this afternoon. Heraldry vs. Heraldry, man vs. woman, warrior vs. warrior, scientist vs. scientist."  
  
"Whatever, just leave me be," she said. He then left the building and returned home to prepare for their duel. Reema began to do the same.  
  
* * *  
  
Rena and Claude came to witness the battle along with Narl and Iria—after leaving Estrella with Chisato and Dias. Both the aging scientist and Nedian sorceress stood across from each other on the grass in a park not to far away from the area where the Nedians lived. Heinrich hadn't brought any assistants with him, which seemed suspicious to them. It seemed like the man didn't have any friends for all his influence in the government.  
  
The battle began. Heinrich started out with a Shadow Flare and Reema countered with her Star Flare. Their attacks collided with each other, canceling each other out. But neither seemed to be ready to give in, and they continued.  
  
As the battle raged on, Rena noticed something. Heinrich moved pretty fast for an old man. Some of Reema's punches were at lightning speed, but he still evaded them. His punches were even able to hit her on several occasions.  
  
But Reema wouldn't give up. She kicked her rival to the ground, stunning him. "Star Flare," she yelled. Heinrich was caught up in the middle of the explosions. They waited there as the smoke cleared to see what had become of him.  
  
"I must commend you for being able to defend against me," he said, "But now I will show you my true colors Dr. Lani." And out of the smoke, came Resto.  
  
Claude's hand was on his hilt quickly. But Resto shook his head. "This fight if between me and Reema. I've been waiting for this ever since I landed on Earth about ten years ago. When I saw you had joined the Federation, I joined as well in order to get closer to you. But then you went into space to find Calnus. I followed your signal to Expel, but then I realized you wouldn't be coming home any time soon. So I returned to Earth in order to gain power in the government and await your return."  
  
Claude inquired, "But if you're Resto—a former Nedian partisan of the Ten Wise Men—why do you hate aliens so much?"  
  
"Cover," replied Resto, "No one would suspect an aging xenophobic scientist as a universally wanted criminal. Not even Reema and Narl would suspect me."  
  
He charged again. Reema jumped out of the way. Then she got behind him and knocked him to the floor. While he was still down, she cast Star Flare and Light Cross on him, gravely wounding the evil man. "Give up?" she asked.  
  
Resto nodded yes. He had no more strength to fight her any more. He looked at Claude, and requested the boy to draw his sword. "I know I will die so do it now. There is no way that I'm going to be dragged in for interrogation by your people."  
  
Claude took out Eternal Sphere. He walked up to Resto, and plunged his sword into the man's body. Resto shuddered for a moment, and then he was dead. His body began to fade, and then finally disappeared from the park.  
  
- - - -  
  
I'm almost finished with this. Well then I've got some other cute ideas to write down. 


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
That night, Rena and Claude told all their friends of the true identity of Heinrich. Most of the younger Nedians were surprised at this reversal, but not the older ones. They had known that Resto was a clever devil, and also a master of disguise.  
  
Iria also told the story to the leaders of the Federation. They couldn't believe that a criminal who was known throughout the universe had managed to get through their defenses. But Reema assured them that Resto had tricked many a civilization—how else had he managed to get clearance to work at the Heraldic Research Facility in the first place?  
  
The Nedian society began to flourish. After repairing the damage done by Resto's attack, they began making their own products to trade with the Earthlings. Others joined the Federation and worked towards the future of their two races. Mirage worked on a new type of gun for the Federation that was twice as powerful and could shoot twice as many beams as the old ones. Marianna helped train the soldiers of the Federation, while Noel helped teach them Heraldry. Opera and Precis began to aid in the design of spaceships that were just like the Nedia—which were faster than the average Earth ship. At last, the Nedians had found their place in the universe.  
  
* * *  
  
Socially things changed as well. And no where was it emphasized more than with the twelve heroes. A year following these events, Opera gave birth to a son whom she and Ernest named Lloyd. He looked just like his father, but a little of his mother's grace seemed to be present as well. The following year, Rena and Claude gave birth to another daughter whom they named Vera. Unlike Estrella who looked just like her mom, Vera greatly resembled her dad. Celine and Noel had a son named Mikey the next year—who had his dad's dark hair and his mom's light eyes. And finally, when Estrella was four years old, Ashton and Precis were blessed with a son named Luke. Actually, they had three additional mouths to feed—Luke and his two dragons, Ryu and Teepo. Luke had his father's eyes and his mother's hair. Ryu looked just like Gyoro, and Teepo was the spitting image of Ururun. You could just imagine Ashton's surprise when he tried to pick up his son for the first time, and the baby dragon's decided his hand was a chew toy.  
  
Other important changes were imminent as well. Not to long after the final battle, Narl asked Reema to marry him. Of course she agreed—she had been waiting for it for over three billion years. It often pained her how their circumstances had kept them apart in the past. But neither of them ever regretted being apart for so long, as they say, "absence makes the heart grow fonder".  
  
The wedding was a gala affair. Because of all the problems they'd encountered, they were forced to put it off for about four years. So that was how Rena ended up trying to stifle two feisty toddlers while she was supposed to be watching her mother go down the isle. And during the banquet, Estrella and Lucrecia—ever the pranksters—decided to tie the shoelaces of everyone's sneakers together. But Vera ended up spoiling the whole plan by asking them what they were doing…loudly. From that day forward, Estrella and Lucrecia began to loath when the younger girl tagged along with them.  
  
When Rena looks back on it all, she can't help but smile. Although it was a long time in the making, her people had finally found the peace they'd longed for. Energy Nede had been nice, but as Reema had told them after they'd come to Expel, It was nothing more than a cage. The Nedian people had spread their wings and flown far away from their prison and embraced the freedom of a world far away from their sorrow.  
  
- - - -  
  
I know that was short, but I had to write something. I've got some new projects to work on, and want to get on with them. Anyway, here's my usual thank you message. First, to Enix and Tri-Ace, the makers of this fine game. Then to several review sites—as well as to an online friend—that convinced me to give the game a try. And finally to koolkitty, who tried to help me by telling me the name of Claude's mom—even though I knew it already, the gesture was a nice one (I think they only don't show her in the endings b/c they wanted to make the Japanese players who'd played the original game not complain about the coupling if they didn't like it). Well, I'll see everyone next fic, if I get the chance. 


End file.
